Hey everyone! My name is Amy and I’m writing to you from my parents’ house in southeast Michigan (AKA “the Metro-Detroit area”)! After briefly considering moving back to my apartment in Urbana post-spring-break, I decided that even as an introvert I would likely go a bit nuts if living by myself with no human contact for longer than a week.
So here we are: 6 weeks later, re-wearing the same 5 pairs of leggings I brought home while completely ignoring the “hard pants” (more commonly known as “jeans”) I brought with me, and trying to juggle my new work-from-home, school-from-home, job-hunting-during-hiring-freezes, and Anxiety™ schedule.

But that’s not fun to talk about, so instead I’m going to be sharing some of my (questionable) coping methods (spoiler alert: this includes memes) along with strategies actually backed by doctors and therapists!

Small Joys I’ve been indulging in:

• Snuggling my kitty, Lucy – but also lots of playtime to counteract the excessive treats my parents give her.
  

  Lucy, my 6 year old rescue cat

• Virtual happy hours, coffee hours, and game nights with friends and family! Zoom calls can be exhausting, but it is so nice to hear about the antics of my friend’s new puppy and have my 8-month-old niece hang up our video call because she wants to grab my face through the phone screen.
• Shamelessly binge-watching TV shows/movies:
  • Brooklyn 99: This show has been on my watch list for literally years, with at least 70% of people who know me at all recommending it, but I have only started watching it recently due to who I am as a person. If you’re looking for some fun, light-hearted, and wholesome comedy, this show is a fantastic distraction full of quirky characters and ridiculous shenanigans. Bonus points: there’s a corgi!
    
  • Wynonna Earp: Canadian sci-fi featuring quips, demons, true love, cowboys, a fantastic portrayal of sister relationships, and a magic gun.
    
  • Bob’s Burgers: I stan Louise Belcher.
    
  • Jane Austen adaptations: more timely than you’d think!
    
    

    See also: “I went outside and caught a cold. Now I am ill and must be on bed rest for two weeks without seeing any of my family!”

• Memes: THE MEMES. I would like to thank God and also Jesus for the high quality quarantine memes that have been helping a lot of us to laugh and find amusement in our current predicament. Some favorites:

And now, some actual advice on staying mentally healthy during “these unprecedented times.” The UIUC Psychology Department put together a COVID-19 Mental Health Resources list with tips for self-care, connecting with others, getting help, staying productive, ideas for how to unwind, and more. Here are a few of my favorites I’ve been trying:

• Keep track of time by planning a schedule for your day with time blocking and other strategies to increase focus and finish out the semester strong.
• Find natural light! Warmer weather means we no longer have the excuse of “too cold” when deciding whether to stay in bed or go for a walk.
• Healthy sleep habits can make a huge difference. I’ve been completely thrown off my old schedule and have already forgotten what “mid-day” is supposed to mean (pretty sure it isn’t supposed to be 8 pm), but I’m working on limiting my screentime and caffeine intake before bed to help me sleep during the actual nighttime.

We’re almost done with this semester – hang in there, and keep an eye out for some stress relief activities on the UGL’s social media later this week!

written and edited by Amy